India rules out Ebola reports, says no cases so far

India's health ministry has made all the arrangements for screening arrivals and subsequent tracking is being reviewed on a regular basis

Dr Harsh Vardhan has reassured people that there is no cause for panic

Singapore: India's union health minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan has expressed satisfaction with the infrastructure in place at all entry points to the country to detect people arriving with symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

The World Health Organization had sounded an international emergency on August 8 this year, but before that the Minister had placed India's surveillance and tracking systems on full alert.

"Till now, 12,257 passengers have been screened at various international airports. Several departments of the central government are working in tandem with state governments to ensure total surveillance. I personally inspected the arrangements at the Bangalore International Airport on Thursday," the minister said.

Reports appearing in some media about a Nigerian national having tested "positive" for EVD in New Delhi's Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital have further been denied by the minister.

"Our vigilant officials did indeed send a person to RML Hospital. His blood samples were sent to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and National Institute of Virology, Pune. We are assured that they tested negative and there is no cause for worry," Dr Harsh Vardhan said.